1. Field
Embodiments relate generally to the field of positioning and location based information systems.
2. Background
Typical location based information systems depend on global positioning systems (GPS) to determine a geographic location and a remote database that contains information associated with a particular geographic location. However, GPS receivers generally rely on navigation signals broadcasted by satellites orbiting the Earth. Therefore, such receivers require an unobstructed line of sight to the satellites to provide reliable location information. Thus, GPS is typically used to establish locations in outdoor environments only and may not be suitable to indoor locations. However, indoor positioning systems (IPS) have been developed for use within indoor environments, such as office buildings. Such systems generally use various wireless transmissions, for example, infrared (IR) or ultrasound signals, for location and tracking purposes.
However, many existing solutions for indoor positioning are focused on locating or tracking a device, rather than providing ways for the device to determine its own position. Further, many existing solutions fail to provide accurate position determinations due to the inherent interference limitations that occur within indoor spaces, and fail to provide any device orientation determinations. Further still, many existing solutions require significant power consumption on the part of the mobile device. For example, a system may require the mobile device to enable its GPS function or continually transmit a signal in order to determine its position.